Masur Uses Experience To Reach Open Semis

September 10, 1993|By Robin Finn, New York Times News Service.

NEW YORK — Once again, the dilapidated Stadium Court at the U.S. Open, a Grand Slam tournament on the cusp of razing its home to build something bigger, better and newer, showed a soft spot for tennis's geriatric generation.

But this time the crusty conquistador who rattled his way into the men's semifinals beneath an appropriately gray sky Thursday afternoon wasn't the histrionic and historic five-time champion Jimmy Connors, who turned 39 during a phantasmagorical campaign at the U.S. Open two years ago.

Instead it was the no-time champion Wally Masur of Australia, at 30 the oldest player left in the draw, unworldly rather than other-worldly, and a man who has collected just three titles in his 12-year career, much less won any Grand Slam title.

"I describe myself as, well, I am old, but I'm not that old," said the 24th-ranked serve-and-volley specialist, who became only the second unseeded player in Open history to sneak into the semifinals without having to confront a seeded contestant.

In Masur's case, his quarter of the draw turned into an open invitation he couldn't refuse once Sergi Bruguera, Ivan Lendl, Goran Ivanisevic and Boris Becker all disappeared. Becker was conveniently removed by Masur's quarterfinal opponent, Magnus Larsson, in the fourth round.

Before providing the 23-year-old Larsson with a 6-2, 7-5, 7-5 demonstration of Wally's World, a tick-tack-toe technique heavy on strategic deception and spawned in the lost age of wooden racquets, Masur hadn't elevated himself to the semifinal of a Slam tournament since the 1987 Australian Open, a match he didn't win.

Masur next meets Cedric Pioline, who knocked out No. 8 Andrei Medvedev 6-3, 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 Thursday night to become the first Frenchman in 61 years to reach the U.S. Open semifinals.

The difference in the Masur-Larsson match, said both the victor and the vanquished, was Masur's experience and Larsson's stage fright: older was better Thursday on the Stadium Court.

"When I get out there these days, there is not a lot happening which hasn't happened to me before," said Masur.

- Helena Sukova kept alive her quest for a triple crown at the U.S. Open on Thursday night by teaming with Mark Woodbridge to win mixed doubles, the first title settled at the tournament.

Sukova faces a big double-header Friday. The 12th-seeded singles player opens the day against No. 2 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, then teams with Sanchez Vicario in the semifinals of women's doubles against top-seeded Gigi Fernandez and Natalia Zvereva.

The mixed doubles loss ended Navratilova's hopes of a 55th career Grand Slam championship. She has 18 in singles, 31 in women's doubles and five in mixed doubles.